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I am a younger mother from California, and I moved to Mississippi because my husband's father resides in Indianola (The Delta). At first glance I was truly disturbed by what I saw. I have been here for almost 2 years now, and my child will be entering kindergarden in two years. I am very fearful of this because I know for a fact that the public schools here are not up to par. I cannot afford to spend 65,000 for my daughter to join a public school. I do not like the seperatism here, it truly frustrates me, but it is funny that I am greeted in a kind manner by those who are not of the same ethnicity of me. The ones that are tend to look at me funny and give me dirty looks. I do not let these things affect my stay here. I do enjoy the culture very much, I wish that there was more to do in my town. My extended family owns a blues club, this allows me to enjoy the music of the Delta. The food is GREAT, some of the people are nice, but as a mother I am looking to move so that my daughter can receive quality education without my husband and I spending her college tuition. I would like to visit the coast as well as northen Mississippi, I have heard that it is very enjoyable.
I just moved to Cleveland last weekend after living in Humphreys County for four years. The MS Delta is definitely unlike anywhere else I've lived. For the most part, the schools are awful. There is "voluntary" segregation in many areas. For instance, both Humphreys County and Yazoo City schools are essentially 100% black. All the whites send their children to private schools. I've been attending DSU for a year and still have a year to go, and my wife got a new job at MS Delta Community College, so we moved here. She is in education and was told by a friend in the state department of ed that Cleveland city schools are apparently the only good schools left in the Delta. It's definitely nice to save the $900 a month it cost to send our kids to private school, not to mention the gas money for me driving 100 miles a day for school. It definitely takes some getting used to living here, but by and large, the people are friendly. In general, I wouldn't recommend most of the Delta to anyone, but Cleveland is a nice little town. It would be a culture shock for most people coming here. But I don't find crime to be a problem, the people are nice. It's just the schools that suck.
I just moved to Cleveland last weekend after living in Humphreys County for four years. The MS Delta is definitely unlike anywhere else I've lived. For the most part, the schools are awful. There is "voluntary" segregation in many areas. For instance, both Humphreys County and Yazoo City schools are essentially 100% black. All the whites send their children to private schools. I've been attending DSU for a year and still have a year to go, and my wife got a new job at MS Delta Community College, so we moved here. She is in education and was told by a friend in the state department of ed that Cleveland city schools are apparently the only good schools left in the Delta. It's definitely nice to save the $900 a month it cost to send our kids to private school, not to mention the gas money for me driving 100 miles a day for school. It definitely takes some getting used to living here, but by and large, the people are friendly. In general, I wouldn't recommend most of the Delta to anyone, but Cleveland is a nice little town. It would be a culture shock for most people coming here. But I don't find crime to be a problem, the people are nice. It's just the schools that suck.
I wouldn't move to Cleveland counting on good schools. Back in the 1960s Jim Eastland struck a deal with the Justice department whereby Cleveland was allowed to operate two schools for each grade level, one being all black, the other being 50-50 racial split. The result is that most whites stayed with the system and this arrangement actually promoted integration.
Now the federal government has sued Cleveland schools to force them to adopt a unitary school system. I don't know the exact student numbers, but presumably this will result in a school that is 75 percent black. Whites find attending such a school intensely unpleasant and when things are skewed in this fashion they tend to leave in droves, which will quickly turn the school system 90-99 percent black (I should note that this wouldn't be the case if blacks were wealthier and had better home training than whites and tended to have better accents on average than whites, but in Cleveland that is not the case).
In the short term this will be good for Bayou Academy, which probably needs all the help it can get. In the long term, kiss Cleveland goodbye. If you don't believe me, go visit some folks in Greenville and let them recount for you how their community has disintegrated. Be sure to take some Kleenex.
this is certainly an eye opening thread. it seems the very cities that i hear about and am encouraged to visit are the very cities either completely left w/out mention altogether, or w/ one or two negative mentions.
first, some of your best advertisements come from the interest people have in vicksburg and natchez, these were the ones that seemed to be overlooked. as an episcopalian, who travels, and speaks often w/those who do, getaway destinations are frequently mentioned, and w/out doubt, these two cities are mentioned over and over. i don't wish to give an impression that i have money to burn; however, many episcopalians tend to love luxury, antiques, good food, wine, and architecture. by and large, i hear nothing but nice things about these cities, annual pilgrimages to christmas hanging of the greens, private parties, services at local churches, bread and breakfast getaways, etc. as for literary and music events, and certainly the fabulous food and architecture, we all tend to recommend a visit to oxford two or three times per year. as for the metro casino district, it is not my thing, and southaven hernando, and olive branch, though nice, have become essentially suburban havens in a huge urban area.
i have close friends in tupelo, which seems to be known more for its decorator showrooms, but, other than what i mentioned, it is simply a working class town. hattiesburg is nice, but madison and the reservoir area, madison is the closest thing to an upscale community that essentially presents 4 basic house plans. meridian has a nice little enclave of houses out near the private lake, however, for visitors, nothing really to go out to explore.
i do become annoyed at so many people who pick on ms and make proclamations of the completely "flat as a flitter" landscape, a comment borrowed from a girl in the tri-cities area of tn, by the way. i don't believe there are many folk around, other than they, who think they know so much about everyone else, their culture, and the typography upon which others live. they begin, usually, w/ telling you that you would never find any place on earth prettier than where they live. first, let it be said, although the delta is a major agricultural area of ms, ms has some absolutely beautiful northwest hill country. i enjoy driving through that way, and i'll plug iuka as one small town worth considering for making a home.
finally, the beach areas could be someone's forte'. ocean springs, i believe has already been mentioned. pascagoula is a decent place, although i haven't been there since katrina. it really depends on what your lifestyle consists, if you are single, married w/out children, w/ children, etc. i think for one who is moving into the state, keep in mind that ms is in a big transition phase, economically, culturally, and in many other ways. growth is happening in the middle of the state, things are being put back together on the gulf after katrina and the oil spill, and the south metro growth of northern ms is booming. rapidly developing business and economic cores are virtually covering a good deal of northwest ms. interstate and other infrastructure investment are on the cusp of development or completely finished. many projects remain in the economic pipeline, the legislature has approved some major projects that will literally change the entire area, as far as trade and goods exchange. desoto county is currently the 33rd fastest growing county in the nation. for some, that may not be good news, but for the majority, growth is seen as job opportunity, power in the assembly/legislature, and pride in what has been accomplished in this area.
consequently, many places exist for exploration---serious or for entertainment. i am a Tennessean, but i realize that ms is part of our metro, our future, and the progression that must occur, as we feel our way through dark economic times. those who have made ms and memphis the butt of jokes, have begun to see a difference in the entire area, and will feel the economic power that is to come from the contributions that are in this region and state.
I've lived in Clinton since June 27th. I love living in Mississippi. I came from Utah, and have lived in 26 states. (growing up) My favorite two states to live are Arizona and Mississippi.
I love the people, my teaching job, and kids I teach. Clinton has a lot going on if you look for it. Example: a writing group at the visitor center every third Saturday. I love the YMCA and the library and driving over to Vicksburg and gambling a little I like the fact that compared to Salt Lake there is no traffic. I like the trace and Natchez and going over to Jackson to shop. I think so far the thing I like the most is not being stuck home because of a blinding snowstorm, dirty air, and being afraid to go somewhere cause there is no place to park...or paying a parking lot 20 to 30 bucks to park my car for a couple of hours. This is just off the top of my head...oh and being able to see my cousins for family get togethers...and crawfish... and a veggie stand in Raymond....exploring...and did I mention the people!!!!
I am greeted in a kind manner by those who are not of the same ethnicity of me. The ones that are tend to look at me funny and give me dirty looks.
I'm curious to know your ethnicity. I'm guessing you have some African heritage. Then again, if you're of entirely European descent, but are packaged in ways considered 'radical' for the Delta (probably the most traditionally dressed region in America), then that could be problematic, too.
I would have assumed the gulf coast areas like Biloxi, Gulfport, etc would be more popular. I haven't seen many props on these areas.
Have a blessed day in the Lord.
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I like the fact that compared to Salt Lake there is no traffic. I like the trace and Natchez and going over to Jackson to shop. I think so far the thing I like the most is not being stuck home because of a blinding snowstorm, dirty air, and being afraid to go somewhere cause there is no place to park...or paying a parking lot 20 to 30 bucks to park my car for a couple of hours. This is just off the top of my head...oh and being able to see my cousins for family get togethers...and crawfish... and a veggie stand in Raymond....exploring...and did I mention the people!!!!
